


Easy

by hailbabel



Series: The Games We Play [1]
Category: Harlots (TV)
Genre: Dirty Talk, F/F, FitzBirch, Flirting, Lesbians, Teasing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-07
Updated: 2020-12-07
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:27:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27944522
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hailbabel/pseuds/hailbabel
Summary: Isabella brings a few like-minded friends to Greek Street and takes the opportunity to torture Nancy with her affections.
Relationships: Nancy Birch/Isabella Fitzwilliam
Series: The Games We Play [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2046413
Comments: 4
Kudos: 16





	Easy

Isabella sat back on a chair in the parlour at Fanny’s, sipping her wine and smiling in a well-pleased kind of way. When she had suggested to her companions that they try something new, they had all blushed and looked away from her like she was crazy. 

“It simply isn’t proper,” said Cassandra very matter of factly. She was a dark haired woman a little younger than Isabella herself, and daughter to a Justice. The other two women nodded, but, even though Cassandra had just given them a perfect cover, they looked a little disappointed.

“Neither is being betrothed to a man and trying to seduce his sister,” Isabella gave back. There was an icy silence. And then Virginia began to snicker, which started Louisa laughing, and that was the end of it. They all shared one thing in common, and it was the one thing they couldn’t really share with anyone else--a particular devotion to Sappho that they had kept hidden all of their lives. So when Fanny and Nancy had suggested that Isabella bring them round for a bit of mutual benefitting, she thought it a fine excuse to leave the house and torment Nancy with her affections.

Nancy herself had no idea that this had been Isabella’s plan, of course. At least, if she did, she made no mention of it. But Nancy could be taciturn even at the best of times. Isabella had once felt guilty about the way she would fumble and drop things or suddenly become tongue-tied when Isabella was around. Indeed, she had thought her affections completely misplaced, and had gone so far as to avoid Greek Street altogether for a while. This lasted about a week and a day until Nancy herself showed up at St. James, looking every inch an abandoned puppy and demanding to know why Isabella hadn’t been in contact.

Ever since, Isabella had made it her personal mission to make sure Nancy knew how she felt, and never had reason to give her that sad, hang dog look ever again. Aside from the simple joy of fabricating the flimsiest reasons to visit or write to her, Isabella had found it endlessly amusing to see what minor mishaps her mere presence could cause. Of course, that one time Nance was on a ladder fixing the curtains had almost ended rather badly when she lost her footing and fell off. But she popped right back up and insisted she hadn’t hit her elbow  _ that _ badly and Isabella supposed everything was fine.

In any case, it seemed everyone was going to get what they wanted. Virginia, Louisa, and Cassandra had agreed to come, and, by the way they were all heavy in their cups and completely oblivious to anything around them but Fanny’s girls, were having a good time. Fanny would surely be enjoying their repeat custom, and they would soon be enjoying the girls. And Isabella. Well, she was just enjoying making Nancy uncomfortable from across the room.

Nancy had taken up her post leaning against the sideboard, birch under one arm, and an empty glass in her other hand. She had long since finished the drink, but had been fiddling with the glass, pretending to be very interested in it when she was trying to avoid looking Isabella in the eye. Behind her hair, and her cocked hat which she’d pulled low over her eyes, she’d turned a lovely shade of pink.

Isabella stood from the sofa, deciding it was time to put Nancy out of her misery, and crossed the room to join her.

“Thank you for inviting us,” Isabella said lightly, moving to stand besides Nancy facing the room. “I think my companions are having a lovely time.”

“Oh, sure,” Nancy said. “I think the one in the blue is about to have an especially good night.” She jutted her chin at Louisa who was flanked by two very attractive, very nearly identical women. Louisa herself had not stopped grinning for the past quarter hour.

“Indeed,” said Isabella. “And what about you?”

“Me?”

“Yes, you. Nancy Birch, standing here, next to me. Are you having a good night?”

Nancy tapped her glass on the top of the sideboard a couple of times before picking it up again and crossing her arms.

“Yeah. I mean. It’s work.” She pressed her lips together hard, looked at Isabella, and then up at the ceiling. “What about you? Nothing here catch your eye?”

Isabella leaned across Nancy to put her glass down on the sideboard, making sure she pressed just so against Nancy’s side. Nancy drew in a long breath and ventured to look at Isabella, who was sure she was about to explode soon.

“Only you,” she said, before relenting and moving back.

Nancy laughed at that, finally pushing her hat back up where it belonged so Isabella could see her face properly. She shuffled a bit uneasily, but leaned in so that her arm kept contact with Isabella’s side. It was a warm, comfortable feeling.

“Isabella, I’m no harlot anymore. This birch is for whipping miscreants now, not culls.” Nancy tapped her birch against the floor lightly as if to punctuate her point, but her eyes moved over Isabella in a slow, deliberate motion, pausing very long on the curve of her neck before she met Isabella’s gaze again. “Uh. Besides,” she said, trying to cover the gap. “Could you imagine if that was me trying to woo you?”

She had meant it to sound like a ridiculous thing, but Isabella tilted her head to one side and gave a little “hmm”.

“And what if I can?”

Nancy laughed again, but it was a fluttery, unsure little thing.

“You’re pulling my leg, girl,” she said. “What would you do if I were to try and get you into bed?”

Isabella almost felt bad, but she just couldn’t help herself. She leaned in so she could speak into Nancy’s ear, quietly, in a low, smooth tone.

“I’d put my legs around you and let you ravage me until you were utterly spent, and mine was the only name you ever wanted to taste again.”

There was a loud  _ thunk! _ as Nancy dropped her glass.

“Bugger!”

Isabella supposed she shouldn’t have found it amusing, but it was just so easy.


End file.
